Reece Reed
Reece Kieran Reed (born 2 August 2011 in Portadown, Northern Ireland) is an English and Northern Irish professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the English national team as a centre back. In spite of being born in Northern Ireland, he has played his entire professional career in England, and has chosen to represent England at the international level. Club career Fulham Academy Reed started his football career in London in 2023, playing with the Fulham FC youth academy. In 2027 he caught the attention of Chelsea scouts, and shortly thereafter Fulham accepted a £3.1 million transfer offer for Reed from Chelsea. Chelsea U-18/U-21 Reed joined Chelsea at the age of 15, and the coaching staff immediately saw his potential. He spent the 2027-28 season with the Chelsea U-18 and U-21 sides, and even made his senior international debut at the age of 16 (in a 2-1 friendly loss to South Africa) without having ever played in a senior club match. Crystal Palace (Loan) The Chelsea coaching staff saw the need for Reed to gain some first-team experience, but the Chelsea defence already had considerable depth with the likes of Daniele Fuser, Michele Salerno, vice-captain Marquinhos, and captain Niall Gibson in the rotation. Therefore, a loan deal with Sky Bet Championship side Crystal Palace was agreed. It was at Crystal Palace that Reed made his first-team debut, at age 17. He was a regular for the Crystal Palace side that season, starting in 42 out of 46 league matches, and even scoring a goal. While he turned in only slightly above-average performances at the club level, his display at the international level were impressive enough to convince England and Chelsea manager Dinsdale Piranha to recall him from loan at the end of the season. Chelsea Upon his return to Chelsea, Reed was immediately placed in the first team to replace the aging Marquinhos. He was also placed under the tutelage of fellow Northern Irishman and club captain Niall Gibson, and the two frequently lined up side-by-side in the center of the Chelsea backfield. Reed has been nothing less than stellar since his return to Chelsea, especially considering his relatively young age, and he has become something of a fan favourite at the club. International career While Reed was born in Northern Ireland, he had spent the majority of his life (including his entire football career) in England, and so chose to represent England at the international level. He made his international debut on 16 November 2027 in a friendly match against South Africa, which England lost 2-1, before he ever made his first first-team appearance at the club level. At age 16 years, 106 days, he became the youngest player ever to earn a senior international cap, a record only broken in 2030 by Dominic Osei (age 16 years, 83 days in a Euro 2030 qualifying match against San Marino). He has shown huge potential as a defender for England, and has earned 22 international caps. Career statistics As of 24 May 2032 Club Statistics International Statistics Honours Club Chelsea English Premier League: 2029, 2030, 2032 UEFA Champions League: 2030, 2032 UEFA Super Cup: 2031 (Runners-up 2028, 2030) FIFA Club World Cup: 2030, 2031 English FA Cup: 2028, 2032 Capital One Cup: 2032 (Runners-up 2030) English Community Shield: 2031 (Runners-up 2029, 2030)